When the topic Electronic Whiteboards come to mind you can't but help hearing in your mind the "Ka-ching" of the money and effort involved. For teachers, wealthy school systems, grant writing, and luck are the only options to acquire one. Electronic Whiteboards cost between $2000-$3000 and need to be specially mounted on a wall. As such, they can only be used in one classroom or area. (There are rolling version but secure storage is a necessity.) The accessories include various pens that need to be stored in cradles on the Electronic Whiteboard that increase overall cost if lost.
There is a cheap solution thanks to Johnny Lee. He is the author of the Wii-Remote or Wiimote project. He determined that the infra red sensor in a Nintendo Wii could track an infra red pen. He developed the concept to provide an inexpensive alternative to contemporary Electronic Whiteboards. A wall can suffice instead of a board to project on.
There are whole communities devoted to this idea. The WiiMote Project is a forum that provides detail information regarding equipment, software, and setup. My overall cost was about $140 as opposed to $2000-$3000 Electronic Whiteboard. There are some minor deficiencies (bordering on insignificant) but not enough to warrent going for the higher price tag.
I find that rear projection for the projector and Wiimote the best way to use in class. This removes shadows caused by front projection and removes the chance of blocking the Wiimote sensor with your body. A teacher has set up a classroom with this in mind and provided a DIY instructions webpage. Enjoy the video of his system in action.
When the topic Electronic Whiteboards come to mind you can't but help hearing in your mind the "Ka-ching" of the money and effort involved. For teachers, wealthy school systems, grant writing, and luck are the only options to acquire one. Electronic Whiteboards cost between $2000-$3000 and need to be specially mounted on a wall. As such, they can only be used in one classroom or area. (There are rolling version but secure storage is a necessity.) The accessories include various pens that need to be stored in cradles on the Electronic Whiteboard that increase overall cost if lost.
There is a cheap solution thanks to Johnny Lee. He is the author of the Wii-Remote or Wiimote project. He determined that the infra red sensor in a Nintendo Wii could track an infra red pen. He developed the concept to provide an inexpensive alternative to contemporary Electronic Whiteboards. A wall can suffice instead of a board to project on.
There are whole communities devoted to this idea. The WiiMote Project is a forum that provides detail information regarding equipment, software, and setup. My overall cost was about $140 as opposed to $2000-$3000 Electronic Whiteboard. There are some minor deficiencies (bordering on insignificant) but not enough to warrent going for the higher price tag.
http://www.wiimoteproject.com/index.php?action=forum
I find that rear projection for the projector and Wiimote the best way to use in class. This removes shadows caused by front projection and removes the chance of blocking the Wiimote sensor with your body. A teacher has set up a classroom with this in mind and provided a DIY instructions webpage. Enjoy the video of his system in action.
Homemade rear projection screen by a teacher
http://www.instructables.com/id/Rear-Projection-Wiimote-IWB-Interactive-White-Boa/